


Watching Over Me

by Swlfangirl



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Fluff, Happy Birthday Heather!, Kisses, M/M, schmoopy Dean
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-02
Updated: 2014-09-02
Packaged: 2018-02-15 20:23:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2242317
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Swlfangirl/pseuds/Swlfangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dean and Cas met in cooking class six months ago, now Castiel's turning thirty and Dean needs to cheer him up.. Add in some really sweet fluff that makes your teeth rot.. and you're welcome. Happy Birthday @MishaAteMyBlog</p>
            </blockquote>





	Watching Over Me

**Author's Note:**

  * For [MishaAteMyBlog](https://archiveofourown.org/users/MishaAteMyBlog/gifts).



“This is it, this is gonna be the day you nut up and tell the man how you feel Winchester!” He gave his hair another swipe with his fingers and stood up admiring the view. Dean smiled at himself and then continued to get dressed. His thoughts immediately fell to the bright blue eyes and the dark brown sex hair, which caused a nervous sweat on his palms. He had to get himself under control, if he didn’t ask Cas out today there might not be another chance. 

He felt more at ease the moment he slipped inside his Impala, and he felt the black leather of the steering wheel warm against his skin. The sound of Metallica booming in the speakers helped him focus his mind on the road and not his nerves or what he thought might happen. He was in the middle of “Enter Sandman” when he pulled into the familiar parking spot right beside the shiny blue Challenger. 

Dean tried not to let his mind be overrun by the fact that he knew Cas was inside waiting for him. He steeled his nerves, it was honestly ridiculous how he was acting about the whole thing. Dean Winchester was a confident, suave, charming man who could and had lured some of the most attractive people in the world to his bed. However, he’d never came across anyone that made him want to settle down and buy a house in the suburbs and maybe get a dog and raise some kids. He’d never felt domestic around anyone, not even a little, but Castiel seemed to bring that out in him. He felt some of the jumping nerve endings calm down when he stepped inside the classroom and locked eyes with the cerulean blue ones of his table partner.

“Hello Dean.” Castiel’s voice always made a shrill of excitement race through his body.

“Heya, Cas. Man I can’t believe it’s almost over, feels like we just started out here yesterday.”

“Yes, time has a way of sneaking up on us all.” Castiel’s face turned into a small frown just for a moment, but long enough for Dean to notice. He was observant by nature, Cas’ close proximity only amplified that skill. 

“When we showed up for this cooking class six months ago, would you have expected us to become such good friends?" Dean asked the question as casually as he could, not even sure how good of friends Castiel considered them to be. 

"No Dean, but I would have expected to be able to cook by now though." Dean laughed at Castiel’s disgruntled attempts at some of the most mundane things. The man would have probably set the place on fire boiling water if he hadn’t been watching so closely. Cas mentioned something about giving up and Dean wasn’t about to let that happen, so he convinced him to come back and just be his sous chef. If you added stovetop flame to anything it was always a fifty/fifty chance of Castiel burning something but the man’s knife skills were unrivaled by any, including their professor. It was a little scary to everyone but Dean. He just smiled and shook his head, feeling very impressed. 

“Come on Cas, you’re not that bad.. just maybe work with the pastry side of things.. you do better with an oven and specific measurements.” Dean added hoping to make the guy feel a bit better. It would be awkward as hell to try to ask Cas out of he was depressed and shit.

“Yes, it would seem so.” His face still void of the light Dean was so used to seeing, this had to stop and soon. 

“Okay, so what’s up man.. I mean I get it kinda sucks.. but it’s not the end of the world. They’re are plenty of bakers that can’t cook for shit. Those five star restaurants ain’t got nothing on Diner food, and that’s the only thing that can compete with a good bakery. 

“What? Oh.. no I mean, yes I imagine that diner food is great but I’d always planned to open a bakery I just thought it would be helpful to know how to cook as well.” Dean was confused. If that wasn’t what Cas was upset about then what could it possibly be?

“Okay.. well I’m at a loss here man. What’s going on? You seem a little off today.” 

“I’m sorry Dean, it’s just my birthday is coming up next weekend and I realized today that I’m going to be thirty years old and I have no idea what I want to do with the rest of my life. I’m not sure how feasible it would be to open my own shop without another baker who is at least as good as I am, preferably better. I just imagined that I’d be further along in my life by the time I reached this age. I don’t have a job, I just now figured out what I want to do for a living, and I don’t have a husband, hell I don’t even have a boyfriend!” Shock was all Dean could feel, he’d never seen shy, timid, Castiel be this fired up over anything. He stood there and felt himself staring as it seemed to register to Cas what he’d said because he immediately apologized.

“I didn’t mean to react that way, I’m terribly sorry and somewhat relieved that we’re still the only two students here.” 

“Dude, it’s fine but you’ve got nothing to worry about. You’ve found something you can do that makes you happy, and as for the uh.. the romance department.. any guy in the world would be lucky to have you Cas. I mean.. you’re great. You’re smart, and nice, and the thing with your hair has got to be illegal, besides.. you make pie.. for fun. Who wouldn’t fall in love with you?” As soon as he realized how that came out Dean looked away, he was not about to let Castiel see the blush on his cheeks.

Castiel leaned closer and patted his hand sweetly. “Thank you Dean, I’m afraid I’ve never been very good with people so it seems to be quite a large hindrance with dating.”

“Well no matter what you do Cas, don’t ever change. Anyone who isn’t happy with you as you are doesn’t deserve you.

"Thank you Dean, I'll try my best not to." The normal smile returned to Castiel's face, which made Dean's smile brighten further.

The last day of class they really didn’t do much, Chef Sanders threw categories into a hat and to everyone’s relief Castiel picked dessert. Dean lucked into getting the entree, which he demanded immediately would be burgers and laughed a little when Cas hummed excitedly. Everyone else worked on the appetizers, side dishes, and drinks. By the time everything was done they basically had a big potluck barbeque and everyone ate until their stomachs were full. 

Everyone was piling out and Dean thought this was his chance.. This was the moment he’d ask Cas out for a date, or something.. he wasn’t sure but he’d do it. They were standing beside their cars hesitant about moving forward any more, not wanting to say goodbye. 

“Cas, would you .. I mean.. could I…”

“Yes Dean?” Castiel looked so open and vulnerable that it made everything get a little fuzzy.

“How about you let me take care of your birthday this year. If nothing else at least you have a friend to hang out with… I mean if that’s the kind of thing you’d want?” Dean raised his voice at the end making it a clear question despite the phrasing of words. Nice cop out Winchester, Dean scolded himself. 

“Oh, I .. I suppose..Are you really sure you want to?” Castiel asked as he tilted his head to the side in the adorable way that nearly made Dean’s knees collapse.

“Yeah man, you’re gonna have the best birthday ever I promise!! Umm here put your number in my phone and I’ll plan the whole thing out myself.. just make sure you keep all day Saturday open.. we might start early .. okay?” Dean asked tentatively as he handed Castiel his cellphone.

“Of course, but don’t put yourself out.. it’s really not worth a fuss. although I’ll admit I do look forward to spending more time with you Dean.” Castiel had a way of saying things that most people wouldn’t dare be so honest about, but it was like he didn’t know or care that society wasn’t constructed that way. Dean of course, blushed under the compliment and tried to hide it with an awkward cough and a “You too, Cas.” 

They went their separate ways but Dean was still pretty excited about the weekend. It might not officially be a date but it could be even better. If he made Cas’ birthday the best he ever had, maybe then he’d feel comfortable enough to ask him out. If it was a miserable failure and they hated one another out of class ( which Dean highly doubted) well then so be it. No harm, no foul. 

Dean laid awake that night wondering what would make Cas happy, he really needed to do this right. Something that he could pass off as friendly if they didn’t connect outside of class but something he could really put his heart out there with if they did. He thought up all kinds of ideas mostly lame ones until he stumbled upon a memory of Cas telling him he didn’t have much of a childhood since his dad was ex military and they grew up on army bases all over the world. So in a stroke of genius he came up with a plan, and if all went well he’d give Cas something extra special at the end of the night.

With Castiel’s number in his phone Dean found the temptation to text overwhelming. It had little to do with his birthday plans and more to do with the fact that he missed the guy. Every week after their first in the class seemed to drag on even more slowly than normal but the last few hours even more so. Finally he gave in and thought he’d start a conversation under the guise of Birthday plans. 

Hey Cas, Just wanted to let you know I’m in charge of breakfast on Saturday so f you want me to pick you up I’ll need an address, if not you can come over and we’ll start the day off here at my place. -Dean 

Finally satisfied with his message content, after changing it a hundred times he sent the text. Just a minute or two later his phone was buzzing with notification. 

I can come to you, and I won’t eat first but I doubt you’d want me on the road without my morning coffee. -Castiel

Dean made a quick change to the contact info that Cas had put in himself, and smiled. They guy was funny without even trying to be, or maybe Dean was just really into him, either way he was hilarious. He didn’t want the conversation to end just yet so he sent another message. 

Okay, I’ll text you the address and just call me if you need help with directions or anything. What time do you usually get up? I don’t want to make you get up early on your birthday man. -Dean

Immediately he received another response and his heart started beating a little faster at the idea that Cas was as excited about them spending time together outside of class as he’d become.

I'm always up early Dean, I suppose it's habit, but any time after eight would be acceptable. I was also wondering what I would need to wear? -Cas

Eight sounds awesome. Don’t dress up, jeans and a tee will be fine. -Dean

They texted back and forth until they could no longer talk about the surprise birthday plans, so eventually Dean just changed the subject and Cas responded immediately leading him to believe that maybe he’d been hoping for more contact as well. Eventually, the texts became increasingly slower because they both had other things to do but the smiles that resulted in the notifications never stopped for Dean. He was more than happy that he’d been able to get to know more about Cas than just how well he sliced and diced vegetables. 

 

Finally it was the night before Cas’ birthday and he’d finished the final touches on his plan. Now all he had to do was get some sleep and get an early start on breakfast. He sat an alarm just to be sure, although he was always up around dawn despite what time he went to sleep. Dean pushed his eyes closed and waited hoping sleep would claim him soon, but it didn’t. He was so anxious, nervous, excited for what the next day could mean for him that he couldn’t make his brain stop thinking. It was almost like being a kid again on the night before Christmas, Easter, or the first day of school. He mentally cringed at the thought and steeled his resolve to let the anxiety over it all slip away. It worked...almost four hours later. 

Dean didn’t need the alarm to wake him up he was already awake and showered before it was even set to go off. He busied himself cleaning up his house, double checking everything to make sure it was presentable. He went over his plan three times while sipping his first cup of coffee. He checked the clock and it was still too early to start breakfast if he wanted it warm for when Cas got there. Just for good measure he thought he’d send a quick text to say Happy Birthday, and ya know.. let the birthday guy know he was awake, it was only polite.

Happy Birthday man, you’re probably gonna get sick of hearing that today but it only happens once a year. See ya when you get woke up and remember to grab that coffee before getting on the road. -Dean

He smiled and sat his phone down. It was going to be a long day but he was looking forward to it. He just wished he had something else, anything else to keep his mind occupied until Cas woke up. His phone buzzed in his pocket and he thought surely Sam wasn’t texting him at 7 in the damn morning. When the screen flashed Cas he immediately smiled bigger, so maybe he wasn’t the only one who felt like it was Christmas morning. 

I have been awake for a little while now, it seems my excitement has made it difficult to maintain my standard sleep schedule. I’ve drank nearly three cups already so I don’t think my driving will be an issue at the moment. -Cas

Dean smiled and shook his head, yet again Cas just acknowledging things that others would certainly keep hidden.

Well come on over then, I’ve been up for a bit now myself. Not gonna lie man, my stomach doesn’t know the meaning of the word wait.. so you better hurry if you want some food for yourself. -Dean

I’ll be there in about fifteen minutes, see you soon Dean. -Cas

Dean went ahead and started frying the sausage and bacon knowing it would be the easiest to keep warm and then mixed up a batter for his famous French Toast. It had always been the traditional birthday breakfast for him, his dad, and Sammy since he was old enough to work the stove by himself. He’d just finished flipping the sizzling meat over as he heard the rumble of a car pull into his driveway. 

He met Cas at the door and welcomed him inside with a giant smile. He nearly swallowed his tongue when he took in the full appearance, Castiel was in dark jeans and a red tee that stretched tightly across his chest and biceps. He’d always worn a loose fitting dress shirt and slacks to class, which were nice… but nothing like this. He’d fumbled a bit for his words until the smell of bacon hit his nose and then he came to his senses and invited Cas into his kitchen. 

He dipped the bread down in his special birthday batter and fried it, rolling it in cinnamon and sugar once it was done. They made polite conversation as he finished frying up the toast and warming the syrup. He let Cas pull some fresh fruit out of the fridge and add it to the table, which he wouldn’t ever admit to buying for the sole reason that Castiel was a lover of fruit and had said so many times.

They ate breakfast together and Dean was both tormented and rewarded with the obscene moans that fell from between the pink chapped lips of his guest. He supposed it was like everything else Cas did, there was no holding back for the sake of “societal rules.” which only made him wonder exactly what kind of sounds he could draw out in other situations. After a very long and somewhat disturbing mental talk with his dick, Dean finally stood up and cleared the table. 

“Okay, so this is gonna be a little weird at first.. but just trust me I think overall you’re gonna enjoy yourself today. If there’s something you don’t like or whatever just let me know and we’ll move onto the next thing.” Dean said with a shy smile, he was a little anxious but he felt like this was going to be one of his favorite days and he hoped Cas would feel the same way.

“I’m sure everything will be excellent Dean.” He noticed Castiel’s smile grew just a little and he anxiously tipped back on the balls of his feet. 

“Alright, so up first.. we’re gonna make your birthday ala Dean’ souvenirs.” He said with a wide grin as he pulled out two plain white ceramic dish settings. Including four plates, two bowls, and two mugs. He sat them down and then pulled out a box of paints and a smaller one that held a variety of shapes and sizes of sharpie markers. He took a seat on the floor at the opposite end of the long coffee table, and motioned for Cas to do the same. 

Castiel looked a little confused until he realized what was going on, but Dean felt the air leave his lungs as he took in the big wide smile that he’d only ever seen once before.

“You can do whatever you like, use paints, or the markers and then when you’re done decorating we’ll bake them in the oven and make the design permanent, or well hard to wash off at least.”

“And all this is mine to decorate?” Castiel asked, as he grinned at the pile of dishware in front of him. 

“Yeah of course man, and I’ll do this one as a gift to you. Although my art skills aren’t all that great so don’t expect much. Just have fun with it and do whatever you want.” Dean smile pushing the paints and markers closer to him as a sign that it was okay to start whenever he wanted. 

They drew, colored, and painted mostly in silence for the better part of an hour before Dean declared himself finished. Surprisingly he went with the minimalist vibe, thinking that if he’d put much more detail into it he was bound to screw something up. Either way he was pretty proud of what he’d done and couldn’t wait to have it baked so he could finally give it to Cas. 

They’d decided early on to keep their work a secret, well for the most part, and he’d caught a few glimpses of Castiel focused and determined. He’d never say it outloud but it was totally adorable, watching the man’s tongue poke out of the side of his mouth and his brow furrow in his intense concentration. He’d felt a tightness in his chest when he’d witnessed the sight, and told himself it was just all the sugar he’d had for breakfast.

Finally they both separately carried their finished dishes to the double oven in Dean’s kitchen. He took the top and let Cas slide his stuff into the bottom one, before setting a timer to go off when they’d be done in an hour. By the time they’d finished it still wasn’t really warm enough to go outside for his next plan so he changed the schedule around a little. 

“Alright next up, you’re in for a treat. I’ve got a closet full of games, most of which can be played with only two people. We’ll play whatever you want until the mugs are finished in the oven and have cooled off enough to take them out. “ Dean led Cas down the hall to his massive collection of video games, board games, and several different types of playing cards. It was always something he’d loved doing with Sam and John usually relented and let them buy a travel sized version of something every once in a while. Once he’d got out on his own and started making his own money it was one of the first things he started investing in. 

Castiel looked at all the different choices, it was easy to tell he was a little overwhelmed. It was less than a minute later that he looked to Dean and asked what he enjoyed playing the most.

“Dude it’s not about me, but if you don’t want to choose I can just grab a couple and we’ll try them out, how about that?” As soon as he’d finished the statement he watched Cas visibly relax.

“That seems like the best solution, I never really played board games beyond the occasional game of chess or checkers.”

For a minute Dean was worried that this was a very bad idea, he was really good at most if not all of the games stacked in his closet and didn’t want it to be unfair. He specifically chose the intellectual games he’d bought for Sammy over the strategic ones he’d bought for himself. He wasn’t a slouch at Scrabble or Boggle, but he knew Cas was really smart so he was just as likely to win as his little brother usually did. 

Thirty minutes later Dean regretted ever feeling sorry for the guy, he was getting his ass handed to him and for the most frustrating part of it was that it was mostly pure luck. You can’t make a decent word without some damn vowels for crying out loud. Castiel seemed to enjoy himself though so the foul mood of losing didn’t last for more than a couple minutes at a time. It instantly fell when he saw the smile that lit Cas’ face every time he’d found a new and creative word to add to the board. 

Eventually the buzzer rang, Dean turned the oven off and stated they had to wait for at least the fifteen minute cool down period before removing them. They finished out their second game, which Cas won by more than a hundred points. Dean just shook his head and smiled not even being able to be mad for the whole minute he’d been at the end of the first one. Castiel’s smile was bright and unwavering, he was certainly proud of himself and Dean might have been a little proud of him too.

They took their dishes out of the oven and Dean was excited to hand his over. First he asked Castiel politely to close his eyes before he lifted them out. With a thin pot holder to cover his hand, he sat them down in a row on the counter. He organized them in the right order, biggest to smallest starting with the plate and ending on the mug. Finally he told Cas he could open his eyes and watched excitedly to see his reaction.

Each had a cartoon drawing of the dark-haired man in his familiar trench coat. The first depicting Cas in front of the sink with the tap turned on. The second him carrying the pot of water to the stove. The bowl was nearly covered in flames with a small white portion that had cartoon Cas holding a fire extinguisher. Finally his eyes darted over the mug that said “Please make me coffee, boiling water is hard.”

He was rewarded with a loud laugh that he’d never heard before, and it made his whole body light up like it was the best thing he’d ever done, and just maybe in that moment he felt like it was.

“That’s very funny Dean, thank you for making it for me.”

Castiel asked Dean if he could show his later, and of course Dean said that would be fine despite the nagging disappointment he felt. They proceeded to the next part of his planned day which required a short drive to the park. He smiled when he saw how comfortable Cas looked in the passenger seat of his baby, well he looked amazing anywhere but there was something reassuring about having him inside the Impala. He pulled into the parking lot beside the small set of swings and flipped the key over.

“Okay you’ve got a choice to make, physical or peaceful. I don't wanna give away all the surprise but whichever you don’t pick now goes next.” Dean said with a smile, he’d been a little nervous about some of his plans this was by far the smoothest area of the day. 

“I think I’ll go with the physical? I’m assuming it might help me work off some of the calories I consumed eating your delicious breakfast.” Castiel sent Dean a small and weary smile.

“Alright, physical it is..” Dean marched around to the trunk of the Impala and pulled out his old duffle bag. He pulled it over his shoulder and tugged on Cas’ arm to get him to follow. They walked toward a clearing just past a picnic table where Dean sat down his bag. He opened it wide and told Cas to pick something.

They played a variety of games over the next couple hours including frisbee, two hand touch football, and an unregulated and unnetted version of volleyball. Eventually they’d both worked up a nice sweat and Dean jogged back to the Impala to pull out a couple bottles of cold water and tossed one over to Cas. They took a small relaxing break before the conversation started back up. Dean could tell by the smiles that he’d seen that Castiel was enjoying his birthday, and to be honest it was probably one of the greatest days he’d ever had too. 

“Okay give yourself a minute to cool off and then I’ve got something I know you’re gonna love.” Dean smiled, thinking over his next planned activity.

‘I don’t doubt it, this has been a very exciting day. I’ve had a lot of fun, probably more than I’ve had in years if not ever. You’ve already made this day much better than it would have been if I’d stayed home sulking all day. Thank you Dean, you don’t know how much it means to me.”

“No problem man, that’s what friends are for right?” He added a small smile and reached out to grab Castiel’s hand but quickly reminded himself not to, instead he opted to tug against the sleeve of his shirt and pull him toward the lake. Dean was wearing some old loose basketball shorts and dug into one pocket as they perched down onto the steps of the dock. He pulled out a Ziplock bag of oats and opened it. He held it out to Cas and instructed him to take a small handful and hold his palm open and flat. He was met with a confused look but he obliged none the less. 

They had an easy conversation for a few minutes the oats in Cas’ hand forgotten until the duck began pecking against his palm and Dean watched him nearly jump out of his skin. He couldn’t help but crack up at the sight of Castiel’s eyes going wide and his hand nearly spilling all the food on the ground. It didn’t take long before the full smile was back on his pink chapped lips and Dean could tell he was enjoying himself, and the ducks seemed to be having a pretty good time with it all too. They sat there and talked quietly for nearly half an hour as Cas held his hand out a few times to different ducks being careful to not feed any one of them too much. Eventually Dean stood up and offered Cas a hand up as well, the slide of their hands together shot an electric pulse of excitement through him that he hadn’t expected. He shivered when Castiel let go and told himself it was just a cool breeze that had blown by. 

They walked back to the Impala and Dean checked his watch it was certainly nearing lunch time, so he motioned for Cas to climb in. “Okay so I’m gonna take you back to my place and we’ll have lunch, Sound good?” 

“Yes of course Dean, that sounds fantastic.. and you’ll let me help with the preparations?” Dean could hear the hesitation oozing in Cas’ voice.

“Sure man, couldn’t do it nearly as good without my favorite sous chef.” Dean beamed and Castiel joined his bright smile which only meant his heart fluttered again the same way it did every time he brought a similar reaction out of the man. They rode in a comfortable silence, that continued through part of the food prep. Dean saw Cas moving through his kitchen gracefully, almost as if he’d been dancing which only made him want to reach out and grab ahold and spin him across the tiled floor. He wouldn’t give in though, not just yet.. their day had been great but there was still quite a bit ahead of them.

They ate and once again delicious sounds filled the air of his kitchen that made him have to work equally hard to not let out his own as well as calm himself from the ones he was hearing. Once they’d cleaned up, Dean moved them toward the back door toward his expansive yard and situated Cas on the patio before moving himself behind the tree in the far corner.

“Okay look to the left corner of the house,” He shouted. Dean waited patiently until Castiel slipped past the corner and undoubtedly saw the huge tub of water balloons waiting for him. “Alright, you better figure out a plan because you’ve got about thirty seconds until I say go and aim well because the one with the most direct hits wins.”

He laughed and counted down from thirty until he said go and glanced around the side of the tree only to feel the splat of plastic against his face and the rush of cold water dripping over him. Holy shit, how did Cas even manage that… he didn’t even see the guy. “Alright, alright so you got the first shot.. but I’m aimin for you Novak..better watch out.”

Dean licks his lips and gathers ammo before even thinking about moving out from the cover of his large Oak tree. To his left he hears Castiel yell his response.

“I’m not sure you thought this through Dean. I come from a military family, I’m an expert strategist and therefore have an unfair advantage.” He could hear the playfulness from thirty yards away and shook his head, okay so maybe he hadn’t thought it through but he wasn’t one to back down from uneven odds. 

“Yeah well I guess we’ll see once you stop hidin...” he finished just as another balloon splashed over his head. He was still behind the tree what the fuck? How in hells name could Cas even see him much less hit him with such precision. 

“I think that makes me two direct hits Winchester.. and you’ve not even made the first throw. You’re not scared are you Dean?” He heard Cas laugh and immediately popped from behind the tree to throw a balloon in the direction of the voice, only to find that space empty. He fled from behind the tree, given his position had obviously been compromised. He took a minute to let himself think about how he’d never seen this side of Castiel, sure he’d had a light and funny attitude before but this playful openness and teasing was more than he’d ever gotten out of him and if Dean were honest he’d say it was damn sexy as well as pretty damn sweet too.

Eventually some of his balloon bombs did make contact with Castiel’s face, and other parts of him but it wasn’t even half the amount of ice frickin cold water that he’d been doused with. They dried themselves off quite a bit with the towels he left just inside the door, but were still pretty wet so they sat on the porch swing and talked for awhile, letting their clothes dry in the wind. It got a little too quiet for Dean’s comfort and he felt the mood switch onto a more serious note, he wasn’t sure where it was going but his palms were sweaty and his mind racing through every possible outcome. 

“Dean, I’m not complaining or anything but .. I mean why would you do all this for me? It clearly took quite a bit of thought and planning, not to mention a whole day of your time which I imagine is pretty valuable.

“Nah, Cas .. I mean yeah I put some thought into it, I wanted you to have a good birthday, hell I still do. Just thought a guy like you deserved somethin nice. Besides, I hit thirty already and I had Sammy to keep my head straight, so I’m doing the same for you.” His throat was suddenly dry and he felt like he was grasping at unattainable straws to keep himself calm.

“So like a brother then… that’s what this is?” Dean felt like he’d been punched in the face by the amount of hurt that he’d heard in Cas’ voice.

“No, I mean..” he sighed collecting his thoughts, he figured it was now or never. “Actually no Cas, it wasn’t brotherly, or even friendly, well I mean a little of course but.. I was kinda hopin to just .. hang out with you .. ya know.. outside of class… I thought maybe there could be something more between us.. if that would be something you’d be interested in at all.”

Dean knew he was rambling but he couldn’t stop the words just kept pouring out, he’d damn near confessed his massive crush on the guy like a damn teenager, but thankfully for multiple reasons he didn’t have the chance. Castiel pulled him in harshly against his chest and locked their mouths together. Their lips moved in sync, slowly pulling one another’s bottom lip in and sucking on it. He could feel his body humming with the presence of Cas; hands on his skin and he let out a small moan because of it. Dean felt the soft wet tongue pushing against the seam of his mouth and he opened eager for anything else Castiel wanted to offer him. 

They broke apart panting and Dean’s knees were weak from the energetic sparks that had found themselves at home in every inch of his skin. It took him a minute but eventually his brain began to function properly once again and he smiled. “So I’m guessing this is .. uh.. this is okay?”

“Yes Dean, its more than okay.. I think it might even be great.” Hearing that, he couldn’t help himself so he leaned in and kissed him again, until they were both struggling for air. 

They got cleaned up, Dean let Cas go home and change quickly, because the his jeans became increasingly uncomfortable. When he got back Dean packed a picnic basket and a cooler into the trunk of the Impala and they hit the road. It was nearly dark and the drive-in theater was over an hour outside of town. He threw on some music to listen to and laughed when Castiel’s head started bobbing along to Back in Black. 

They ate and talked and ate and talked some more until the feature played on the screen and they climbed onto the hood of the Impala to watch the show. Castiel folded tightly in against Dean’s side, and sluggishly rubbing his abdomen. It was by far one of the best days and nights Dean had ever had. They didn’t understand anything in the end probably because they’d made out through the entirety of the middle of the movie, but he could tell neither of them regretted it. 

After the movie they went straight back to Dean’s house, it was pretty late and he could tell they were both a little tired from their previous sleepless night. He pulled into his driveway and his hand started to shake as he reached over to the glove compartment. He opened it and pulled out a card, and handed it to Castiel. “Don’t open it till you get home, but I think you’ll like it.”

“Okay, and the same goes for my dishes I left, they were a gift for you… so look at them when I’m gone?” Castiel smiled back at him with the envelope clutched tightly in his hand. 

“Yeah man, of course. I’ll uh.. see you soon?” Dean asked, unsure of what was really happening beyond a few really amazing makeout sessions. 

“I’ll text you after I’ve gotten home and read your card, then we’ll make a date for sometime later this week. I’m not one to jump into things Dean but I think you are worth the fall.” Dean blushed at the blunt and complimentary statement, once again Cas really caught him off guard. After a heated kiss against the Challenger Dean let his boyfriend? something ..whatever he was, he let him go home and couldn’t stop the smile from widening across his face.

He walked into the house and immediately went to his oven to pull out the dishware Castiel had decorated. Each plate had a word written in neat script over the bright colored lines that had been painted on, making it look incredibly professional. He read them one by one and his smile grew wider as his heart beat rapidly beneath his skin.

“You make everything better.”

He knew that Castiel would go home and find the silly fifty cent card and laugh but he’d open it and the hand crafted crossword puzzle he’d stuffed inside would fall out and he’d immediately get to work, unable to resist the challenge. He was proven right when he received the text message nearly thirty minutes later.

“I’m not sure that angels are real, but I’ll watch over you Dean Winchester.” -Cas

“It’s okay Cas, I think someone already is. -Dean


End file.
